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It normally takes years to truly grade a deal which includes draft picks and/or prospects, but how does this trade look right now? The Carolina Hurricanes gave up a lot, but as Jim Rutherford said, they obtained an elite player in Jordan Staal and got one they coveted.
The Canes traded a top draft pick, a top prospect, and a solid third line center who scored 17 goals with very little powerplay time. Brandon Sutter was also considered a top-notch defensive stopper. This trade will be analyzed for years to come, but if the "Staal combo" can push the team to the playoffs next season, it will at least be deemed a short term success.
But what if Brian Dumoulin pans out into a solid NHL defenseman? Dumoulin finished his career at (+/-)+90 at Boston College and his team won two National Championships during his stay.
There were still top rated players in the draft available at number 8, somewhat surprisingly, players like Filip Forsberg and Mikhail Grigorenko. What if one of those players turns into a 30 or 40 goal scorer?
There are no questions about Jordan Staal's abilities. Rutherford said that there are only "two or three players in the NHL" with similar size who can skate as well as Staal can. The center has one year left on his contract which will pay him $4.5 million. Rutherford will be trying to sign him to an extension soon.
Sutter earns $2 million this coming season and $2.7 million the following year. Staal will be unrestricted at the end of his term while Sutter will be restricted.
The stats favor Staal over Sutter.
Time will tell. But what do you think of this deal? Did the Hurricanes improve drastically? Just a little? Or giveaway their future? Your turn to grade the trade.